


Of Challenges, Seduction and Love at First Sight

by Salambo06



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dancing, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Jealousy, Karaoke, M/M, Married Life, Seduction, Teasing, fitness, reversed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-10-29 12:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10853988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salambo06/pseuds/Salambo06
Summary: When John and Sherlock have to investigate a gay dating event over the weekend, Sherlock finds the challenge quite exciting. John isn't so sure they're going to be able to play stranger for an entire weekend, especially considering they've been married for ten years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As promised on my tumblr, here's a fic where John and Sherlock had been married ten years! You can expect adventures but also fluff and some more fluff! I've ignored s4 entirely in this fic, and you can chose your own timeline for this story, the important fact is that they're happy and in love!
> 
> Enjoy,  
> Pauline.
> 
> Thank you to [Heather](http://astudyinsnoggy.tumblr.com/) for her job as a beta !  
> [My Tumblr](http://ggaypilot.tumblr.com/)  
> 

"John, wake up! John, John, John!"

John lets out a deep sigh, rolling over to bury his head in Sherlock's pillow, "I heard you the first time." He listens as Sherlock seems to be running around the room, the door of their wardrobe slamming closed and startling him. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"There is no time for that, John," Sherlock replies instantly, something landing on top of John's body. "Get dressed."

"What time is it?" John sighs again, not yet ready to open his eyes and face whatever Sherlock has planned for them. It's too early anyway, they should be both lying in this bed and recovering from the week they just had.

John smiles as he feels the familiar drop in the mattress when Sherlock sits next to him, and his lips curl into an even wider smile as one of Sherlock's hands slowly slides up his back and into his hair, "Seven thirty." His fingers massage John's scalp softly, "We have a case."

John cracks one eye open, glancing at Sherlock's face above him, "Already?"

Sherlock nods, "Lestrade just called, a last minute opportunity just came up, and we need to go now."

John exhales loudly, "Do we really have to?"

Sherlock nods again, smiling back at him this time as he leans in to whisper in his ear, "I knew we shouldn't have had that third round in the middle of the night."

John rolls his eyes, "You're the one who woke me up, remember?"

Sherlock kisses his temple, shrugging, "It's not my fault. You were the one moaning my name in your sleep, I really had no other choice but to give you a hand."

John bursts out laughing, "A hand?" He rolls onto his back again, catching Sherlock's face with both hands and keeping him close enough to kiss him slowly. "Good morning, love."

Sherlock smiles against his lips, "Good morning."

John seals their mouths again, letting his tongue invade Sherlock mouth slowly and getting a proper morning kiss out of his too-hurried husband. Sherlock indulges him for several seconds, actually relaxing into the touch, but John can still feel the light tension in his back and shoulders. "So, the case?" He asks when they part, and Sherlock straightens back up.

"Yes, get dressed, I'll explain over breakfast."

John stretches on the bed, not missing Sherlock's eyes roaming over his still naked body, "We have time for breakfast, then?"

Sherlock nods absently, still staring at his chest, and John pokes him with one finger. Eyes snapping back to his face, Sherlock licks his lips slowly before checking the clock on the bedside table, "We even could have had time for a shower if you hadn't lingered in bed."

John laughs again, sitting up in the bed and pulling Sherlock down for another kiss, "That's too bad, isn't it?"

Sherlock pulls away, now grinning, and John wonders once more what he did exactly to deserve to feel so bloody happy all the time.

"I guess you'll have to make it up to me later," Sherlock says, eyes full of promises, and John wills the beginning of an erection away.

"Get out of here before I pin you to this bed," he replies, grabbing the clothes Sherlock choose for him, and Sherlock's laughter echoes in the room for several seconds after he leaves.

By the time John finally manages to get dressed, Sherlock is speaking rather loudly on the phone in the kitchen, probably to Greg about this mysterious, last minute case. John sits at the table, sipping his coffee and watching Sherlock pace around the room. He's already dressed, perfectly so of course, and John lets his mind wander into the memories of the night they’d just shared. If anyone had told him he'd be having sex three times in less than 10 hours at his age, John would have laughed at them and told them to bugger off. But still, Sherlock had woken up him in the middle of the night with lips wrapped around his cock, and John had nearly come right here and then.

_Christ, don't think about this now, Watson._

John shakes his head, focusing instead on the few papers on the table, and he can't help but laugh again as he notices the flyer next to Sherlock's empty mug. He waits until Sherlock has hung up before holding it up, "A weekend to find love?" he asks, reading the large letters on top of the too-colorful paper.

Sherlock sits down, taking the flyer from John's hand and setting it back on the table, "That's our case."

John frowns, "Care to explain then?"

Sherlock hands him a file, opening it up, and John finds there two missing persons reports. He reads the information quickly as Sherlock starts to explain, "Mark Fourchier went missing two months ago, Yann Doyens one month ago, and Scotland Yard can't seem to be able to figure out what happened. Lestrade sent me the file a few days ago, but with the Larson case, I hadn't been able to look at it."

John nods, flipping through the few pages, "And why this romantic weekend?"

Sherlock hands him another file, this one containing the Yard's notes on the case, and Sherlock's own handwriting here and there, "I've managed to link both disappearances to an event both Mark and Yann went to, a month apart."

John looks up, "And the Yard didn't?"

"They didn't look where I did," Sherlock smiles. "Mark is an openly gay man, whereas Yann isn't, so I had to do some digging to find out he also participated to this event."

John looks back at the flyer, "That's a gay event?"

Sherlock nods, "I thought that was fairly obvious from the flyer, John."

John shakes his head, leaning back against his chair, "And so, what did you find?"

"They both spent an entire weekend in the same hotel, participating in the same events but a month apart. Mark went first, with a friend actually, he's the one who reported him missing. Yann went alone, probably not wanting anyone to know about it, and it's his sister who called the Yard after not hearing from him for three days."

John grabs the flyer, "Let me guess, we're going to the event."

Sherlock beams at him, "We're leaving in thirty minutes."

John exhales loudly, "I should have known we were not going to have a nice, lazy weekend in bed."

Sherlock's feet brush his under the table, "Come on, John, it's going to be fun."

"Is it really?" John asks, looking back up and finding Sherlock smiling widely at him. "Ok, what is it?"

"This is an event where you're supposed to meet other people, John," Sherlock says. "We can't go as a married couple."

John stares at him, "You mean we're going as strangers?"

Sherlock nods, "That's exactly what I mean."

John laughs softly, "Well, that's a challenge."

Sherlock frowns, "A challenge? Why?"

"Sherlock, love, we've been married for ten years now, playing strangers isn't going to be easy," John smiles. Sherlock leans back against his own chair, not moving his feet away and proving John's point right there. "What I mean is that we have habits now, we look at each other in certain ways, we are used to being together. Spending an entire weekend without being able to be ourselves is going to be a challenge, that's all."

Sherlock stares at him for a long moment, "I can do it."

John can't help but laugh again. He should have known Sherlock would take it like this. "If you say so," he breathes out slowly, still smiling.

"You don't think I can?" Sherlock asks.

"I think you'll have a hard time keeping your hands to yourself, that's all."

Sherlock stands up, walking around the table and stopping in front of him. John glances up at him, watching as Sherlock leans down to whisper against his lips, "Challenge accepted, then."

John laughs, pulling him down for a long, deep kiss, "You're insufferable."

"But you love me," Sherlock smiles, not moving away.

"But I love you," John replies, realising he's also going to have to stop himself from kissing his husband all the bloody time for an entire weekend. "What's the plan, then?"

"You go as John Watson, and I as William Holmes," Sherlock breathes against his lips. "We participate in all the stupid events planned over the weekend and try to find anything suspicious. Quite boring if you ask me, or at least it was until your little challenge."

"You're the one who made it into a challenge," John points out, and Sherlock smiles.

"We really have to go."

John brushes their lips together in a teasing touch, "Ready whenever you are." They linger for a moment longer, exchanging soft kisses between smiles, and when Sherlock's phone rings, they both let out a deep sigh. "Let's do this, then," John breathes out.

They actually manage to get ready and out of the flat quite quickly. John makes sure to tell Mrs Hudson they'll be gone for the weekend. She doesn't come upstairs anymore, not since her hip got worse, and they always take the time to spend afternoons or evenings with her. She had been delighted for them when they got together, and even more after the wedding, and John had stopped counting the number of times she had teased him about how she now had to sleep with earplugs. Sherlock still doesn't seem to mind, actually beaming at her when she still mentions it, and John has somehow got used to the little comments too.

The hotel they are staying in for the weekend is just outside of London, and they get there in less than forty minutes. In the meantime, Sherlock fills him in with all the details of the case, and in particular all the things John needs to be careful about. Sherlock had narrowed down the suspects to four members of the staff and two employees of the hotel. All of them had either served time in prison or were known for being slightly homophobic.

"And none of them have an alibi," John points out.

Sherlock glances at him from his phone, "Exactly." He looks back down at his phone, the picture of their two victims there, and adds with a smile, "You'll have to be careful, John. Our suspect is probably going to come after you, and even if I hate the idea of using you as bait, it's also a great advantage."

John frowns, "Bait, me?"

Sherlock turns the phone towards him, "You can't have missed it, John. Both Mark and Yann can be considered as very attractive, and surely our kidnapper has a type."

John feels something warm, really, really warm spreading throughout his chest, "You can't be serious, love."

Sherlock seems confused for a second, "Why?"

John takes back his hand, squeezing once, "If anything, our kidnapper is going to come after you when it comes to being both absolutely beautiful and attractive."

Sherlock rolls his eyes, "You're clearly underestimating yourself, John, as usual."

"Let's agree to disagree then," John smiles, "And we should both be careful." He lets one finger trace the line of Sherlock's hand between them absently, "We forgot to take off our wedding rings."

Sherlock sets down his phone at this, staring at their hands and saying, "I hadn't thought about that."

John smiles, knowing just how much Sherlock hates to take his ring off, even just to clean it. "It's just for the weekend," John tries to reassure him.

Sherlock is still looking down at his own hand, one finger playing with his ring now, "Will you keep it for me?" He asks, looking back up, and John smiles.

"Of course."

He slowly takes off Sherlock's ring, puts it inside his pocket and does the same with his own. They both look back at their hand, the white mark on each of their fingers, and John laughs lightly, "Not much choice here."

Sherlock frowns at him, "What?"

"Well, divorced, obviously." Sherlock sighs, looking pained and John leans in for a quick kiss, "It's just pretend, love."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Sherlock replies.

John shakes his head, "Come on, we're almost there. We need to think about what we'll do once we're there."

Sherlock looks back at him, "We'll have to register, and probably go take care of our suitcases."

John licks his lips, "Oh, right, separate rooms."

Sherlock remains silent, and John doesn't need him to say anything to know what he's thinking about. He could count on one hand the number of nights they’ve spent apart in the past eleven years, and John doesn't look forward to three more. He laces his fingers with Sherlock's slowly, forcing him to come back to reality with a light squeeze, "Hey, are you with me?"

Sherlock nods, the muscle of his throat working slowly as he swallows, "Yes, sorry."

"I love you," John whispers, stealing another kiss from his husband's lips, and Sherlock exhales loudly through his nose. "Remember, it's our own little challenge."

A spark of amusement passes in Sherlock's eyes, "Our challenge, yes."

John squeezes his hand one last time before saying, "I'll go first." Sherlock nods, and pulls him back for another kiss before he can let go. They forget everything into each other mouths, tongues meeting over and over again, almost desperately, and John is breathless when they part. "Ok. I'm going now. I guess I'll see you around."

Sherlock smiles at him, nodding slowly and releasing his hand, "Don't forget about me in there."

"As if that is even possible," John laughs before getting out of the cab. He forces himself not to look back or he knows he'll need to climb back inside for just one last kiss. The hall is already quite crowded, and John does his best to avoid anyone on his way to the front desk. He notices the flyers immediately, and goes to talk to someone who appears to be on the staff directly.

"Hi," he smiles. "I'm John Watson, I've registered for this event."

The man in front of him smiles widely, holding out his hand for John to shake as he greets him, "Welcome to Love at First Sight! We do hope you'll meet the love of your life this weekend."

 _Already did_ , John thinks but thanks him with a smile too. He listens carefully as the man, Tom, explains all the details for the first day, and within fifteen minutes, John has got his room key and the full program for the weekend. "We'll all meet in about half an hour in the room just over there," Tom says before letting him go, and John nods once before picking up his bag and heading upstairs.

He checks the hall, wondering where Sherlock could be, but doesn't catch sight of dark curls and long coat. Finding that he's already missing him, John hurries to the lift and up to his room. "Double bed," he says to himself once he's in, "They sure are hopeful I at least get a shag."

He pulls out his phone, not caring if it makes him seem needy to already be texting Sherlock, and types quickly,

 

**sent / 9:37**

In my room. Everything's alright with you?

 

The reply doesn't take long to arrive, and John throws his bag onto the bed before reading it.

 

**received / 9:39**

Also found my room. The bed's too big for just me. SH

 

John laughs, shaking his head and replying,

 

**sent / 9:40**

At least I won't wake you up with another wet dream.

 

**received / 9:41**

If you're trying to prove a point there, you're not succeeding. SH

 

A knock on his door forces John to put his phone away, reminding himself to phone Sherlock as soon as possible just to make sure he's not being careless with this case already. Even after all these years, just the thought of Sherlock being alone during a case makes John's entire body shake with worry. Of course, they had long agreed to never run after danger without letting the other know, and it is rare for either of them to do anything without warning the other of their location and exact plans. But Sherlock still remains Sherlock, and John intends to make sure his husband remains alive and well for years and years to come.

His phone chimes once inside his pocket as John opens the door, finding another man standing behind it, a warm smile on his lips, "Hi, I'm Jason."

John shakes the extended hand, "John."

"I'm your neighbor for the weekend," Jason announces. "I thought I should introduce myself."

"That's nice of you," John smiles. "It's the first time I’ve participated in an event like this," he adds, remembering their cover and most importantly, their case.

"It's the third time for me," Jason laughs. "I guess it's not love at first sight for everyone."

John chuckles, already warming up to this ordinary looking man who's probably truly looking for the love of his life and having no luck there. "A friend of mine went to the last event," John says after a second. "Maybe you met him, Yann? Yann Doyens?"

Jason seems to think for a moment before nodding slowly, "I think I did, yes. Very attractive guy, didn't talk much for the entire time."

John smiles, "That's him, yes. I haven't seen him for a while now that I think of it."

Jason shrugs, "Maybe he did find the love of his life and eloped."

Realising he isn't going to get much more from Jason, John nods towards the hallway, asking, "Should we go, I think the welcome speech is about to start."

"Sure, yes," Jason smiles, and soon they're both heading back downstairs. They find the room without too much trouble, all the chairs having been placed in a perfect circle, and John spots Sherlock immediately. He forces himself not to stare too much, keeping his smile to himself and sitting next to Jason quickly. He continues to chat absently with his new friend who seems to have a lot to tell him about the event, and John discovers that the staff is always the same, the organizer apparently likes to follow their regular clients all the way to finding love.

"Well," the man on John's right sighs, making them both look at him, "That one over there is gorgeous."

John follows the man's eyes only to find Sherlock on the other side of the circle. He seems to be engrossed in a conversation with his own neighbor, and John does his best to ignore the pang of jealousy starting low in his belly. More than fifteen years, and yet the sight of somebody else looming over Sherlock makes him want to scream.

"Oh yes," Jason replies, eyes fixed on Sherlock too. "There's always one or two participants who are just way out of your league."

"Speak for yourself," their still anonymous neighbor replies. "I intend to do my best and have him in my bed before the weekend ends, that's certain."

John clentches his hands into fists, keeping his voice as calm as possible as he says, "And, who are you?"

The man finally looks away from Sherlock, "I'm Paul, nice to meet you."

"John, and this is Jason," John replies, doing his best to offer Paul a smile.

"Hi," Jason says warmly. "First time?"

"Fifth," Paul replies. "Theses events are the perfect opportunity to shag, if you ask me."

Jason lets out a nervous laugh, looking away, and John has to force himself to not punch Paul right this second. Not sure what he's supposed to reply to this exactly, John focuses back on the staff members calling for everyone to sit down. "We're about to begin," he smiles, and once the room is quiet again, he continues, "Welcome everyone! I'm Ryan, and I'll be here to answer any of your questions. We're excited to have you all here, and we hope you'll find love during the weekend."

Some of the men laugh, and John catches Sherlock's amused eyes. He looks away quickly.

"Our afternoon is going to be quite busy," Ryan continues. "First, we'll have lunch over a giant speed dating, so that all of you can get to know each other a bit more, and then you'll be able to chose between fitness, dance or fight classes according to your interest."

Whispers elevate in the room, but Ryan quickly makes sure to have everyone's attention again. "Over the weekend, you'll all be able to chose different activities, or just enjoy the pool and sauna in the hotel. It is only required for all of you to join us for dinner every night, and to participate at least one of the evening activities." Ryan points to the calendar behind him, all the events written there, and John already finds two or three that could be really interesting. "Tonight it's karaoke night, so make sure to be there for some really good fun!"

John represses a laugh, remembering the last time Lestrade asked them to do a karaoke night and Sherlock's face when the song _I Touch Myself_ started to play when he had the mic. Unable to stop himself from looking back at him, John finds Sherlock's own eyes on him, the same amused look on his face, and this time a chuckle escapes John's lips.

"What is it?" Jason asks immediately.

"Nothing," John replies quickly, shaking his head. "I love karaoke, that's all."

"You should sign up, then," Jason says.

John nods, pretending to be listening to whatever Ryan is saying now, and Jason looks away. By the time Ryan finally announces lunch time, John is starting to fall asleep in his chair. Jason is the one to startle him as he stands up, "Speed dating, that's always fun!"

John gets to his feet, wondering how exactly he's supposed to survive a hour and a half of talking to strangers, "I'm sure it is, yes."

Jason continues to ramble about the previous events, going over the most memorable persons he met, and John listens absently. He keeps a close eyes to Sherlock who is still talking with the same men, and he forces himself to think about something else as Jason and himself sit down at the same table, "Easier to start with each other," Jason says, and John can't help but agree.

They both wait until the first meal is served and Ryan announces the official start to the event, and then John manages to let Jason speak almost the entire time. As expected, Jason is desperately looking for a stable partner, someone who's passionate about what they do but also caring and not too involved in their career. John nods and smiles and finds himself hoping Jason will actually find that special someone. He promises himself to try his best to help him during the weekend, and watches with a resigned sigh as Jason stands up to go to the next table.

After that John stops counting all the men that sit down and ask sometimes the weirdest questions. He invents himself a backstory quite close to reality, but omits to mention he has found the person he wants to grow old with years ago now. He pushes back four different adventurous feet under the table, and stops two men from coming to his room that very night. Too bad, one of them says with a wink before writing down his room number on a napkin. John is still staring at it when the next person sits down, and lets out a surprise noised when an all too familiar hand reaches for it and tears it apart.

"You don't need this," Sherlock says, and John smiles, feeling himself relax for the first time since they arrived.

"Hello gorgeous," he grins, and Sherlock rolls his eyes.

"Stop, you can't say that."

John shrugs, "Why not? You are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm not the only one noticing it."

Sherlock, of course, notes his tone immediately and looks back intensely at him, "Maybe, but you're the only that matters."

John smiles, finding it quite hard not to lean in for a kiss, "Damn right I am."

Sherlock smiles back, "Have you found anything yet?"

John nods towards Jason, "My room neighbor. He vaguely remembers Yann. I haven't talked about Mark yet. You?"

Sherlock plays with the food on the plate he brought with him, "I eliminated one suspect already, way too stupid to make two people disappear."

"Brilliant," John breathes out, and this time, he doesn't push Sherlock's foot away when it meets his under the table. He watches as Sherlock blushes, the look of him all too tempting, and something clicks inside John's head. He lets his own feet brush back Sherlock's, and says as sensually as possible, "You really are gorgeous, you know."

Sherlock frowns at him, silent questions in his eyes. John ignores all of them, continuing, "I sat down in that room earlier, and I couldn't take my eyes off you. Of all the men there, you were the only one I wanted to talk to."

Sherlock clears his throat, "John, what are-"

"I wanted to stroke one finger across those sharp cheekbones," John cuts in, grinning at him now. "I wonder how soft they are, if your entire body shivers when I stroke them, when I kiss them." The flush on Sherlock's neck has spread to his entire face now, and John can't look away. "And those lips, so very tempting." Sherlock's tongue darts out to wet them, and John follows the moment hungrily. "Would you let me kiss you? Before the weekend ends?"

Sherlock's eyes are roaming all over his face, "John, what are you doing?"

John's lips curl into a even wider smile, "Isn't it obvious, love?"

Sherlock glances to the couple next to them, probably checking if they heard the tender word, before looking back at him, the same silent questions in his eyes.

John leans forward over the table, whispering, "I'm seducing you, Sherlock Holmes."

He lets his feet move higher on Sherlock's leg under the table, eyes fixed on Sherlock's. _You have your little challenge_ , John thinks, _and now I have mine too_. When they had finally decided to be true to each other and confess the feelings they had kept to themselves for so long, it had all happened so fast. John had been dying to have Sherlock, all of him for so long, and they had fallen into bed the very same day. It has been glorious, absolutely glorious, and John will always remember the taste of Sherlock's lips the first time he kissed them, but with the years, he had come to regret not having taken his time to properly seduce him. Over the years, they had shared all the times they had wished for more and all the fantasies they had developed, and discovered that most of them still consisted of dates ending with the promise for more next time, or slow teasing kisses before going to separate beds. _Like all those boring couples,_ Sherlock had smiled one night, and John had wished nothing more but to be able to give it to him.

And if this isn't exactly that, John can't help but see a perfect opportunity to show Sherlock what is it like to be seduced, to be promised so much more each time that it is practically  impossible to think properly.

"Seduce me?" Sherlock breathes out, the words almost too quiet but John hears them just all the same.

"Yes," he replies, still smiling. "But I can stop," he teases, removing his foot from Sherlock's leg.

Sherlock shakes his head immediately, almost shouting, "No." He looks around them once more. "No, don't stop."

Sherlock closes his eyes, breathing out slowly, and John realises he's probably hard right now. He laughs, pushing Sherlock's glass of water toward him and saying, "Drink and try to relax, love." Sherlock takes the offered glass, drinking quickly before setting it back down. "Tell me what we should do this afternoon," John continues, hoping it will help Sherlock to think about something else before he has to stand up and reveal his state to everyone.

"Yes, right," Sherlock says, clearing his throat again. "Fitness class. The instructor is one of the suspects."

John nods, "Right, fitness."

He can't help but picture a sweaty Sherlock, his body moving in all sorts of way, and suddenly he's afraid he's going to hard himself.

"John," Sherlock calls, bringing back to reality.

"Yes?"

"This seducing thing," Sherlock continues, his feet finding John's once more.

"Good?" John asks.

Sherlock licks his lips, "Very good."

John represses a laugh, a ring echoing in the room, and Sherlock gets up, having apparently taken back control over his body. John watches as he moves to sit at the next table, and with a quiet sigh, John gets ready to meet the next participant.


	2. Chapter 2

The speed dating continues for another hour before John can finally stand up and stretch his legs. Ryan, the last man he talked with, remains by his side, eyeing the people in the room. It's his first time too, and he just confessed to having no idea what he's supposed to do. John had immediately placed him in the ‘not a suspect’ list and offered to stay near him for the rest of the day since they were both new to this. It takes only a few minutes for Jason to find them, and then only to say with a smile, "That William guy is a bit strange."

Ryan laughs, nodding, "He told me all about my mother and the brand of formula she used with me, and how it had affected my skin desease."

Jason loses his smile at this, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, it's not as if I'm trying to hide it," Ryan smiles, raising both arms to show the white patch of skin over the dark one.

John tries to hold back his own smile, wondering what exactly Sherlock told to each and every one of the men in the room. Surely he only asked interested questions to the ones he considered a potential suspect, but the others must have been quite boring. Well, at least, I wasn't, John thinks, smiling to himself this time and his eyes searching for Sherlock's curls around the room.

"And you, John?"

John looks back at Jason, "Sorry, what?"

"This William, what did he tell you?"

John shrugs, looking for something both strange but nice to say, and only saying, "Can't remember exactly, but he seemed nice."

Ryan nods, "Yes, looks nice too."

John licks his lips before exhaling loudly, "I'm going to the fitness course this afternoon, want to join?"

Jason seems to consider the question for a moment, eyes glancing over Ryan a few times, and John's lips curl into a smile. Oh, I see. He casts a quick look at the two of them, smiling to himself as Ryan finally says, "Why not."

"Yes," Jason replies immediately, "Sure."

John is about to look around for Sherlock once more when Tom, the ever so smiling event manager calls for everyone's attention, "Don't forget to sign up for the mandatory meeting at five before going to your afternoon class."

"A mandatory meeting?" John frowns, not remembering Sherlock telling him about it.

"They always do this," Jason explains. "We discuss the concept of love at first sight or what we all expect from this weekend."

"Sounds promising," Ryan snorts, making Jason laugh, and John pretends not to notice the game these seem to be playing.

He has his own husband to seduce after all, if he can find him again. Ryan and Jason follow him as soon as he leaves the room, chatting happily behind him, and John tries to keep a careful ear to what they're saying, just in case. But most of his focus is on the several men passing by, all of them suspects to his eyes, and very slowly, he feels the first tremor of worry settle into his brain. He should have found Sherlock by now, especially since they agreed to take the same class.

"I'll go change," he says to Jason and Ryan, "I'll meet you directly at the class."

"Alright," Jason smiles, "See you then."

By the time John arrives at the fitness room, almost everyone is already here. Except Sherlock, of course. He spots Jason and Ryan not far away and joins them.

"John, are you alright?" Ryan asks, sounding actually worried, and John forces himself to relax. he can't blow their cover just because Sherlock is a few minutes late. He's going to be there, soon. "You look pale all of the sudden."

John shakes his head, clearing his throat as he replies, "I'm fine."

Ryan eyes him carefully for another second before turning back to Jason, and John looks around them once more. The instructor, one of Sherlock's main suspects, is talking to another man, blond, tall, very attractive to most standards. John tries to commit the man to memory in case Sherlock wants to know what happened before he got there.

"Alright everyone," the instructor finally says, "Let's get ready to sweat a little."

Some laughter echoes in the room, including Jason's, but John can't seem to bring himself to care any longer. He's about to pull out his phone and call Sherlock when he bursts into the room, "Sorry, I'm late."

"No worries," the instructor replies immediately, "Find a place and we can get started. Everyone, don't forget to grab a towel!"

John takes advantage of the moment to join Sherlock by the shelf where all the towels are kept. He stops next to him, letting their arms brush and finding comfort in the silent exchange. Sherlock lingers just a moment longer, his towel in hand and eyes fluttering closed, and John almost leans into him but stops himself. He wonders if he should say something, keep up the charade but Sherlock is already walking away. John glances at Jason and Ryan, apparently lost in each other now, and decides to leave them alone for the class. He eyes the room, looking for a free spot. He almost lets out a quiet laugh when he catches Sherlock's eyes on him, moving from his bare arms to his shorts.

_Alright, let's do this then._

With something close to a wicked smile on his lips, John stands right within Sherlock's view. He knows all too well how Sherlock reacts when he does physical exercise. He had taken to running twice a week a few years ago, and John had long stopped counting the number of times they had some very good sex on the sitting room floor after he had come home all sweaty and breathless.

"Hello everyone," the instructor says, distracting him. "I'm Mark, and I'll be teaching both fitness and dance classes during the weekend. For today, we're going to go over some basic movements with steps and then take care of those abs!"

John allows himself to glance at Sherlock, not surprised to find his husband's eyes fixed on him, and John licks his lips slowly. He stretches both arms above his head, letting his shirt slide up and reveal more skin. He can almost hear Sherlock's quiet exhalation, the sight of John's hipbones probably making it hard to think for a while. I know you too well, love, John thinks before focusing back on whatever Mark is saying.

"Everyone go and grab a step, then we'll start," Mark announces, his smile much too bright in John's opinion.

He waits until he sees Sherlock walk toward the steps before going too, and stands close to him. He takes advantage of all the people gathering toward the corner of the room to press himself against Sherlock's back, just a subtle movement that allows him to brush his groin against Sherlock's arse when he leans to take a step. John moves away immediately, grinning to himself when he sees Sherlock repress a shiver. He takes his own step and proceeds to ignore Sherlock's stare on him as he settles back into his place.

"First," Mark says when they're all in place, "We're going to make a series of movements. You just have to follow my lead, alright?"

John hums his approval, already focusing back on Sherlock more than anything else. He follows Mark's movements absently, knowing he should be looking for anything strange about the man but not really caring. He rolls his hips, raises his arms, steps up and down, all the while very aware of Sherlock's eyes on him. It occurs to him that this might not be his best plan considering how much it's already affecting him, but it's too late now. He makes sure to keep his own eyes on Mark at all time, not allowing himself to check what he already knows Sherlock's face looks like right now. All flushed, eyes hungry for more and tongue darting out to wet his lips. Absolutely gorgeous.

"Good job everyone!" Mark cheers after thirty minutes of intense exercise.

John claps along with the others, looking around the room and stopping on Sherlock. And Christ, he was right. Sherlock's eyes are full of want, fixed on him and his chest is rising heavily. John represses a shudder, forcing himself to stand still and not taste those too tempting lips right now. He grins at Sherlock instead, rubbing one hand against his nape before stretching again. Sherlock's eyes narrow, his lips curling into a smile. John barely has the time to prepare himself before Sherlock is dropping to his hands and knees, curling his back while still staring at him.

"That's exactly it," Mark exclaims, and John realises he's pointing at Sherlock. "That's the position everyone."

Only then does John notice everyone is sitting on their mat and towel, and he hurries to sit down too. Unable to look at Sherlock anymore, he takes the same position and chases the images of Sherlock's naked body in the very same position on their bed from his head. He does his best to listen to Mark's instructions, doing movement after movement, and having no other choice but to face Sherlock again when they have to lie on their side.

Sherlock is still staring at him, the leggings his character apparently wears leaving nothing to the imagination, and John nearly loses it when Sherlock raises one leg high above his head. Fuck. Doing the same quickly, John watches him, unable to look away. He can already feel himself growing harder, and the glance Sherlock gives to his crotch makes it very clear that's what he's aiming for. The moment Mark shows them the next movement, John knows Sherlock is the one who will have trouble keeping it together. He settles onto his back with the very same grin on his lips and plants both feet on the floor, spreading his legs just a little.

"You just raise your hips up, contracting the muscles in your buttocks as you do," Mark explains, showing them the movement once more.

John is already miming him, thrusting into the air and keeping his eyes fixed on Sherlock's.

"We're doing fifteen of these, and then we'll call it a day, so give it everything you have," Mark says before starting counting.

John closes his eyes, knowing Sherlock is watching him, and lets memories of the night they shared earlier this week flood his brain. He only has to focus to feel Sherlock's body on top of his, legs spread across his hips and his body contracting around his cock every time John drove up inside him. If anything, they had quickly discovered that Sherlock loves riding him, absolutely adores it even, and John is not one to complain. Not at all. Every time Sherlock rolls them over during sex, somehow managing to keep John inside him before starting to push himself back onto him, John wonders if he will ever stop feeling this all-consuming lust overtake him.

He's quite certain he won't.

"And that's it everyone," Mark announces, and John opens his eyes, not surprised to find he's half hard. "Good job, and see you all soon for another class I hope!"

People around them are standing up, going to chat with Mark or each other, but John can't seem to be able to move. He can feel Sherlock's eyes on him and knows he can’t stare back or he'll do something stupid. It's only when he hears the now familiar voice of Jason coming closer that he forces himself to get to his feet.

"That was nice," Jason remarks, and John nods quickly. "I definitely should find a fitness club next to my flat."

John smiles, not trusting his voice just yet. He waits until he sees Sherlock stand up too, walking toward the bathroom directly, and the voice inside John's head is too loud to ignore any longer. He smiles at Jason, saying quickly, "I need to go take a shower. We can meet downstairs for the meeting later?"

Jason nods, "I'll find Ryan, and we'll meet you there."

John is already walking towards the toilets as Jason finishes his sentence, and he waves at him in agreement before closing the door behind him. The small room is quiet, so very quiet, and John checks the first door, empty.

"Sherlock?" He whispers, fairly sure no one else is here.

He opens the second door and two hands pull him in immediately. He only has the time to close the door behind him before Sherlock is backing him up against it, lips crashing against his and John lets their tongues meet right away. He threads both hands through Sherlock's curls, keeping him close and rolling his hips against his, their erections brushing against each other.

"Fuck, Sherlock," John pants when they part. "So much for keeping our hands off each other."

"It's your fault," Sherlock all but groans, lips already attached to his neck. "You have no right to look like that, to move like that."

John laughs, pressing them closer together, "I told you," he breathes out, "I'm seducing you."

Sherlock's teeth graze his skin and John holds back a moan, sliding both hands down to Sherlock's arse and rocking into him harder. "I got hard just thinking about you riding me," he whispers.

"I know you did," Sherlock replies, pushing his erection against John's now. "You love it when I do."

John shakes his head, biting his lower lip before saying, "You're the one who's always begging for it, love."

Sherlock doesn't bother to deny it, pulling one of John's leg up and around his waist so that they can rub against each other more firmly. John is already close, dangerously so, and he captures Sherlock's lips to make sure all of his moans are swallowed into their kisses. Sherlock is shaking in his arms now, and John knows he won't last much longer either. He slides one arm around his waist, holding him up, and thrusts faster against him.

"That's it, love," he pants against his lips. "You look absolutely beautiful like that, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you."

"John," Sherlock moans quietly, nuzzling his head into John's neck. "I love you."

John barely has the time to say it back before Sherlock is coming, making his own orgasm explode and they both come in their pants, still rubbing against each other. "Christ, love," John smiles, feeling Sherlock shiver in his arms, "It feels like the first few months we were together. Remember?"

Sherlock nods softly, a clear smile in his voice as he says, "I think we had sex in every toilet of the Yard. Bart's too."

John laughs, "You were just too bloody sexy all the time."

Sherlock pulls away, smiling at him, "Am I not anymore?"

John brushes their lips together, "You know very well you are."

Sherlock laughs, kissing him some more, and John reluctantly lets him go. "That was dangerous," Sherlock says. "We should have least found somewhere else than the class toilets."

"You were the one who came in first," John points out. "And nobody followed me."

"We were lucky," Sherlock replies. "Or maybe every person in that room now thinks we just had a quick shag between strangers."

John shrugs, "I guess we'll see, then."

Sherlock eyes him for a long moment, "You like that."

John licks his lips, considering his answer for a moment before saying, "All the people I've talked to since we arrived thought you were gorgeous. I'm fairly certain all of the men in this hotel think the same. So yes, I very much like the fact that they might now think I was the one you chose to shag in the toilets."

"It's always you, John Watson, that I'm going to shag in the toilets."

John laughs, head thrown back against the door, "Good to know."

Sherlock joins him, laughing quietly and when it becomes obvious they can't always remain like this, Sherlock pulls away. "Well, I need a shower."

John lets his eyes travel up and down his body, taking in the firm thighs and remembering all too well how they look around his head. "Too bad we can't take it together." Sherlock rolls his eyes, and John leans in for one last kiss before opening the door. He leaves first, the fitness class empty now and he hears Sherlock come out just as he's leaving the room. He goes up to his room without stopping to talk to anyone. He showers immediately, letting the hot water relax his sore muscles. He tries not to think too much about Sherlock or the moment they just shared. It is actually quite amazing that they're still able to make each other come just by rubbing against the other. But on the other hand, John is certain he could come without Sherlock touching him at all, even after ten years of spending most nights discovering new ways of making love to him.

His phone chiming with a new text forces him to shorten his shower and he reaches for the nearest towel to dry himself. He catches Sherlock's name on his screen and smiles, already thinking of texting him back an amused _ miss me already? _ He gets dressed in a hurry, the meeting only ten minutes from now, and he unlocks his phone as he goes back to his room.

**received / 16:51**

I've signed us both up for the same group for the meeting. SH

John lets out a quiet laugh, texting back;

**sent / 16:53**

Are you keeping an eye on me, Sherlock Holmes?

**received / 16:53**

You do spend a lot of time with that short, dull and most likely boring man. SH

John is already leaving the room when he replies,

**sent / 16:54**

Jason is really nice, and currently after someone else.

**received / 16:54**

Good. SH

**received / 16:55**

Now hurry. You're late. SH

John waves for the person inside the elevator to hold the doors for him and steps in quickly. He has absolutely no idea what this meeting is going to be like, but he can't help but wonder how Sherlock will react around him. Especially if he stays in character.

"You're going to the discussion group?" The man next to him asks.

John glances at him, taking the time to properly look at him this time, "Yes. You?"

The man nods sharply, eyes fixed on the doors. Tall, blond, attractive in his own way. The type of man you see every day in the streets, going unnoticed among the crowd.

"It's the first time I'm doing this," John smiles, already trying to gather any information about the man.

"Me too," the man replies, still not looking at him, and John wishes Sherlock were here to read his body language. Something’s off, John thinks without managing to put his finger on what exactly.

The man gives him another quick nod when the doors open before getting out. John keeps an eye on him for as long as he can but is forced to let him disappear behind some doors. I need to tell Sherlock, he thinks before going over to where Jason is waving at him. Ryan is already here and he barely looks at him when John arrives, all his focus on Jason instead.

"Ready?" John asks.

Jason nods, the same everlasting smile on his lips, and the three of them head toward their group. "We added our names when you signed up," Ryan explains. "That way we won't be talking to complete strangers, not really."

"Good idea," John smiles, wondering what his new friends will think off the mysterious William Holmes after this discussion.

Sherlock is already sitting on one of the chairs when they arrive, and John sits in front of him, licking his lips. He only has to wait a minute before Tom claps his hands, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright people, let's get started. Some of you already took part in one of these meetings, but for those you didn't, let me explain it quickly." He gives them all a bright smile, "For the next half hour, we're going to discuss the reasons why we're here, and what we expect from this weekend. And of course, you can all share your thoughts on if you believe in Love at First Sight, since it's our motto."

John hides a smile as he sees Sherlock rolling his eyes. They've broached the subject once, during a quiet night, lying in the dark and whispering about those two first days they spent together. John had dared to confess his instant attraction and the feeling of rejection that had overtaken him at Angelo’s. Sherlock shared his fears, having no idea what to do with the feelings John had been unearthing all of the sudden. They hadn't talked about love, not really, but deep down, John sill wonders if he hadn't fallen in love the very moment Sherlock had deduced him in that cab.

"Does anyone want to start?" Tom asks, and already someone is raising a hand. "Please, remember to tell us your name first, it'll be easier for everyone."

The man nods, "I'm Paul, it's the fourth time I'm signing up for weekend like this one, and I'm sure it must sound stupid for most of you. Why don't I just give up, right?" A few laughs echo in the room. "I think it would be the easy way to just give up. I know this event is called Love at First Sight, but if the right person isn't there, it just can't happen. So I keep trying, keep hoping my person will be there for the next event, and then, only then, I'll stop."

"Does it mean you don't believe in pure luck," someone asks. "Meeting the right person at the most random place or moment, for example?"

"I do," Paul replies, "But why not give chance a little help."

To John's surprise, Sherlock is the one to raise his hand next, his voice just a little deeper than usual and his legs crossed. Already in character.

"I'm William," he begins before looking at Paul directly. "I don't agree with you. Love at First sight is more complicated than that. You don't realise right away that you've fallen in love. It takes time, even to just let yourself believe it's happening. You can't be certain you've found the right person after a three day event."

"That's interesting," Tom intervenes. "Can you elaborate a bit more, William?"

Sherlock seems to consider his next words, eyes roaming over the faces of the different people present and stopping on John's for the briefest second.

"As I've said, you can fall in love with someone instantly but it won't become clear you did right away. You have to watch for the signs, for the unexpected thoughts and feelings. It takes days, even weeks to realise it's happening, that this person just absently drinking his cup of tea is quite extraordinary and that you have to do everything in your power to keep this person with you."

John is replying before he can stop himself, almost forgetting they're in the room full of strangers that have no idea what they are to each other.

"Does it mean that you don't think someone can know, in just a second, that they want to spend the rest of their life with another person? That it's impossible to just look at someone, listen to someone, and think that's it, I've found him."

Another man steps into the discussion, forcing John to look away from Sherlock, "What you're saying sounds like a fairy tale. I don't believe in such things, you have to learn more about this other person before allowing yourself to fall in love. It would all be such a mess if people just fell in love in an instant."

"Please, remember to state your name," Tom points out.

"Yes, sorry, I'm John. What I was trying to say is that you can see someone for the very first time and instantly want to press your lips to their neck and breathe them in. That you can hear a voice for the first time and instantly wonder what it would be like to have this voice whispering into your ear. That you can feel someone else's presence around you for the first time and wish to revolve around that person from now on."

"It sounds like you're talking from experience," someone comments to John's right.

John shakes his head, keeping his eyes away from Sherlock's figure, "I'm only saying, we all have felt like this, once, even just as teenagers, and it wasn't just a ridiculous crush."

"I agree with John," Ryan says. "Sometimes, you just know."

"William, anything to reply to John or did he convince you?" Tom asks.

John looks back at Sherlock and his breath catches. He knows he's the only who's able to read the almost hidden softness around Sherlock's eyes right now, but it still makes his heart beat just a little faster at the sight of Sherlock's quiet affection.

"I'm willing to understand his way of thinking," Sherlock finally says. "I really think I can understand, yes."

John hides his smile the best he can, looking down at his hands and drifting away from the conversation entirely. He doesn't care what any of these men think about love or the reasons they're here. Sherlock can listen for the both of them. For now, John wants to remember what it felt like to wake up in his upstairs bedroom without knowing what the day would hold. He wants to remember what it felt like to find Sherlock asleep on the sofa and brushing a curl off his forehead. He wants to remember what it felt like to stand side by side, barely breathing after a chase and the temptation to kiss the rest of Sherlock's breath out of him overwhelming all of John's senses.

John wants to remember the first days, first weeks, first months. Still full of promise for more.

He's not sure how long he remains lost in his thoughts, but when Jason pokes him in the leg, everyone is standing up.

"We lost you there," Jason smiles.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking," John explains quickly.

"Well," Jason says, now grinning, "You've missed all of the looks that William guy gave you during the entire discussion. It was like he couldn't stop himself. You have a real chance if you ask me."

John laughs, having no trouble picturing Sherlock's eyes coming back to him constantly. "Think so?"

Jason nods, laughing too, "Oh yes."

John searches for Sherlock around the room, finding him engrossed in conversation with another man, his back turned to him. "Well, lucky me then."

"Truly, yes," Jason replies.

John looks back at him, "If we're talking about chances, better watch out for Ryan. He seems to be quite fascinated by everything you say."

Jason blushes, a deep shade of red taking over his neck and cheeks, "Really?" He breathes out. "I thought I noticed something, but I wasn't..."

"Sure?" John asks, and Jason nods. "I'd say give it a go, but that's just me."

Ryan choses this very moment to find them again, and Jason can't seem to be able to look up at him. John holds back another laugh, lying about a phone call he has to make so he can leave the two of them alone. He glances one more time at Sherlock, finding him looking back this time, and John nods towards the hallway. Sherlock nods back and less than a second later, he's following John out of the room. John looks for the quietest place he can find, waiting for Sherlock to join him.

"Did you really fall in love with me the day we met?" Sherlock asks as soon as he’s there, pressing himself against the wall before pulling John against him.

John smiles, brushing their lips together softly, '"I think I did, yes."

Sherlock's eyes shine with something bright. He looks as if he's about to say something but chooses to kiss John instead, letting their tongues slide together slowly for a long moment. John listens for any sound announcing that someone is getting too close, but Sherlock's hand on his back is becoming a bit too distracting to do so. He pulls away, rubbing his nose along Sherlock's before saying, "We really should just pretend that it only took less than a day for two of us to find each other. That way I could kiss you whenever I want, just like it should be."

Sherlock laughs quietly, "We can't. Our suspect might make a move on either of us, and we need to let him think we're available."

John groans, not liking that word at all but understanding what Sherlock means. "You do realise we're going to sleep in separate beds tonight."

Sherlock sighs, "I know. I'm trying not to think about it too much."

John kisses him again, long and deep, and he feels Sherlock shiver in his arms. He keeps their lips close and brushing together as he replies, "Call me, that way we can fall asleep to each other breathing over the phone."

"So very romantic, my husband," Sherlock smiles, but John knows he silently agreeing to his idea.

"You knew that when you chose to marry me," John points out. "You deduced I'm a romantic years ago, actually."

"I did," Sherlock says, still smiling. "And yet, you’ve never written me any poems."

"You hate my poems," John protests.

"I do not," Sherlock replies, shaking his head. "I hated the ones you wrote to those boring women, that's all."

John grins at him, "You were jealous." Sherlock shrugs, not denying it, and John kisses him again. "I'll write you a poem. Tonight even."

"Really?" Sherlock asks, sounding way too happy about it, and John promises himself to dig up all the poems he wrote about him but never dared to show him.

"Really," he replies, and with another laugh, he seals their lips again

**Author's Note:**

> Please, do yourself a favor and listen to [ this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-34w8kGPM), and try to imagine Sherlock singing it now!


End file.
